Brentwood Academy baseball standout settles on Alabama

Despite growing up a Vanderbilt fan, Will Haynie intends to play his college baseball at a different Southeastern Conference destination.

The two-time Tennessean all-Midstate first-team performer for Brentwood Academy has committed to Alabama.

“I went down for the first time last summer and really loved it,” said the 6-4, 215-pound catcher, who hit .433 as a junior with 15 home runs and 37 runs batted in. “I fell in love with the coaching staff — (assistant) Andy Phillips, Coach (Mitch) Gaspard, (assistant) Dax Norris. It’s been a great journey with them since I went the first time.”

Brentwood Academy Coach Buddy Alexander compared Haynie favorably to former Eagles catcher Jacob Stallings, who was selected in the seventh round of the Major League Baseball Draft earlier this month by Pittsburgh after playing four years at North Carolina.

“He’s going to be a catcher,” Alexander said, addressing Haynie’s size. “I’m not saying he won’t play some first base or third base, because he’s capable of that. But everybody’s recruiting him as a catcher.

“Vanderbilt offered him at the end of his sophomore year, and I think it got out that Vanderbilt had offered him and that was where he wanted to go and a lot of people quit recruiting him. But Alabama stuck with him the whole year and has been in consistent contact with him. He’s excited about playing in the SEC and playing for Alabama.”